Meaning & Origins

Transferred use of the surname of an English noble family. The surname has a large number of possible origins, but in the case of the noble family early forms often have the spelling Haward, and so it is probably from a Scandinavian personal name derived from hā ‘high’ + varðr ‘guardian’. (The traditional derivation from the Old English name Hereweard ‘army guardian’ is untenable.) It is now a widespread given name.